a clearinghouse of current thought on natural childbirth and parenting

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Calling all gentle birth advocates in Bangalore!!

If you or anyone you know is interested in joining our efforts, please contact me!

The Bangalore Birth Network (BBN) is a group of professionals and concerned citizens in Bangalore who share the beliefs that:

• Pregnancy and childbirth are normal physiological processes as well as social events in the life of a woman and her family.

• Women, not medical practitioners, are the primary caregivers for themselves, their fetuses, newborns and families.

• Every woman should be treated with respect in every phase of her care from pregnancy through postpartum. Respect includes, but is not limited to complete, unbiased information about tests, treatments, and procedures, fully informed consent, preservation of privacy, and polite respectful communications by all involved with her care.

• Intervention in the process and the application of technology are only justified when their use can be shown to enhance wellbeing and improve outcome for a particular mother and her baby. Routine protocols not based on research evidence should be avoided. Maternity care should be grounded in evidence, and care providers should be accountable to the mother and family for the mental and physical outcomes resulting from their actions or inactions.

• A primary maternity care system that offers a variety of options in prenatal care and birth settings and in choice of caregivers is essential to meeting women’s needs. Each birthing woman has individual needs, and it is her right to select the care provider and setting for birth that best fits those needs.

• Professionals and citizens must actively promote the allocation of resources towards measures that support the basic needs of women and their babies, while reducing the over-use of expensive obstetric technology.

• Every woman has the right to accessible, affordable, proficient maternity care.

In keeping with this position, the Bangalore Birth Network will:

• Promote childbirth practices and guidelines for care which enhance the normal physiological process; • Promote the allocation of resources towards measures which support the basic needs of women and their babies as a priority, such as improved nutrition and social support during pregnancy; • Continuously evaluate intervention and the use of technology in midwifery and obstetrical practice and take measures to avoid unnecessary interference; • Provide information and education to women and their families that enhances the understanding of birth as a normal life process and enables them to make informed decisions; and• Promote research and training in evidence-based maternity care coalition-building, communications, and networking with other organizations to achieve our vision.